Folding table



v 1943- E. L. SCHMIDT ET AL FOLDING TABLE Filed July 26, 1940 INVENTOR Eewn'v A. .SCHM/DT 7* Joseph 1. Sax/046E142 BY ['M m ATTORNEY6 Patented July 6, 1943 FOLDING TABLE Erwin L. Schmidt and Joseph L. Schwabe, .lr., Milwaukee, Wis, assignors to G-H Specialty 00., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application July 26, 1940, Serial No. 347,605

'5 Claims.

Our invention relates to folding tables, and, more particularly stated, it relates to improvements in table legs having incorporated therein height adjustment and folding means.

A primary object of our invention is to provide a table leg with an improved and simplified unitary hinge, brace and leg extension mechanism adapted to permit a user to quickly adjust and secure the leg either in or out of position for use.

Another important object of our invention is to provide a table leg with improved telescopic adjustment means, wherein a clamp provides means for height adjustment betweenthe leg members and means for retaining portions of a leg housing in contact with an adjustable leg element which is partially disposed therein.

While we do not wish to limit the application of our invention to any particular type of table, we have found it to be particularly effective as applied to light-weight tables, such as lap and card tables, provided with marginally framed tops and it is, therefore, our further object to provide such a table with a telescopically adjustable leg adapted to be completely recessed Within the area defined by the marginal frame to facilitate storing during non-use.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lap table with our invention incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the table shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a table leg incorporating our invention.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a table leg incorporating our invention.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of a four-legged table, having our invention incorporated therein.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

As best shown in Figures 3 and 4, our improved table leg and bracket assembly includes a pair of spaced bracket members l0 and H having pivoted intermediate thereof an elongated channeled housing member [3 which forms the upper portion of our adjustable leg. Housing I3 has slidably mounted therein a lower leg portion I4. For purpose of simplifying the description, We shall hereinafter refer to the upper portion I3 as the housing and to the lower portion M as the leg. Leg I4 is preferably of solid light-weight material, such as wood or plastic, but, if preferred, it may be of tubular metallic construction.

The bracket members l0 and II are preferably stamped of sheet metal stock to provide flat portions I! with holes I 8 and QO-degree arcuate slots [9, which are concentrically positioned in respect to the holes [8. Flanged portions 20 are integral with and extend at right angles .to portions IT, and are provided with holes through which bolts 22 project to provide means for fastening the leg assembly to the inner vertical wall of a table top frame member 23.

Housing I3 is preferably pressed from a single piece of sheet metal. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, it includes a pair of spaced arms 24 and 25, U-shaped in cross section, integrally connected at the end of the housing by a bearing portion 26 comprising a web common to both arms which provides means for pivotally mounting said housing l3 intermediate brackets Ill and II by means of a pintle bolt 21 which projects through bracket apertures l8 and bearing portion 26, and is riveted or otherwise secured between the brackets.

To provide means for locking housing IS in respect to brackets 10 and I l at any point within the path defined by the arcuate bracket apertures l9, bolt 28 projects through apertures [9 intermediate bracket arms 24 and 25 in clamping engagement between the bracket arms. I1; is provided with a wing nut 29 to enable a user to manually apply or release the clamping pressure, as desired, during tiltable adjustment of the housing l3 and its associated telescopic leg M through a -degree are as the bolt moves through the indexed arcuate slots l9 and the respective bracket members.

Telescopic adjustment between housing 13 and leg I4 is effected by tightening means which include a pair of apertured encircling members 30 and 3!, which may be U-shaped clamps, held in clamping engagement with the exterior of housing l3 by means of clamping bolt 32, which projects through clamp 33, through leg I M intermediate housing members 24 and 25, and thence through clamp 3|. Wing nut 33 is provided to enable a user to manually adjust the tension between housing l3 and leg [4. Clamps 38 and 3| serve the duo function of retaining portions 24and 25 of housing I3 in position to enclose leg I l, and to provide means for clamping the housing and leg portions together.

The outer margins of bracket portions IT, as shown in Fig. 3, are provided with indented areas 36 and 37, which project into the longitudinal channels intermediate housing members 24 and 25 when the leg is retracted and parallel to the table top, and thus these portions act as detents to aid in securing the leg in this position.

Figs. 1 and 2 disclose a particularly effective embodiment of our invention, wherein one of our improved legs is incorporated in a lap table designed to find support for its opposite top margin on the lap of a user, the arms of a chair, or the like. It is apparent that the adjustability of the leg enables the table to be put to a multiplicity of uses. Another important object of this table resides in the fact that the leg in its retracted position may be pivoted to recess in the space defined by the marginal frame members during periods of non-use.

Fig. 5 discloses a modified embodiment of our invention, wherein a circular top table is provided with four of our improved legs, which are spaced 90 degrees apart. Heretofore circular top folding tables have not come into common use because of the dirficulty of folding legs which are substantially longer than the radius of the table top. Our invention solves this difliculty, and, as is apparent from Fig. 5, the legs may be completely received within the area defined by the marginal frame of the circular top.

We claim:

1. An extensible table leg including a housing comprising spaced channel members provided with means joining them at one end, a bearing in said means for pivotally mounting said housing, an extensible element disposed in space defined by the channel members, and manually operable clamp means at least partially encircling said channel members toprovide telescopic adjustment between said members and the extensible element.

2. A housing adapted to at least partially enclose an extensible table leg and comprising a pair of spaced channel members joined at one end, and a clamp including a bolt extending through the leg transversely intermediate the channel members, and a clamp member mounted thereon in position to at least partially encircle said channel members whereby to constrain them against separation and also to provide manually operable means for interlocking the housing and the leg.

3. A table leg housing comprising a pair of spaced members of channel shape in cross section joined at one end and having free portions at opposite sides of an extensible tableleg, and

means for manually clamping the housing to the leg, said means comprising a tension element extending between said members and clamp elements connected thereby and at least one f which embraces said members externally and constitutes means precluding separation between said members.

4. A telescopically adjustable table leg comprising a channel folded upon itself at an intermediate portion to comprise integrally a pair of spaced channel members constituting a housing and an integral intervening connecting portion joining said members at one end of said therein between said housing members, an extension element slidably disposed in the housing between the channel members, a clamping bolt extending through the extension element between the channel members, a pair of clamps mounted on said bolt for engagement with the sides of'the channel members, at least one of said clamps embracing opposite faces of said channel members to preclude separation thereof, said members having free ends remote from said pintle eye whereby to be dependent upon said last mentioned clamp for relative position, and a manually operable nut upon said bolt comprising means for tightening said clamps, whereby to interlockthe channel members and the extension element.

5. A table leg comprising a hinged housing member having an extensible member slidably mounted therein, said housing comprising a pair of spaced channel elements having web portions integral with each other and spanning the space between said elements at one end of said housing and providing at such end means for hingedhousing, said portion having a pintle eye formed 1y connecting the housing to a table, and clamp ,means for positioning and locking the housing channel elements to the extensible member slidably mounted therein, said clamp means comprising at least one U-shaped member constraining the channel elements against separation, said channel elements being otherwise free at all points remote from said end and dependent upon said clamp means for relative position.

JOSEPH L. soHwABE, JR. ERWIN L. SCHMIDT. 

